Students learn new hospitality skills

Ovaia Liew (left) with Titikaveka College principal Gaylyn Lockington-Pera (right) and the students involved in the CITTI level 1 hospitality course. 17100224

Students from Nukutere and Titikaveka College took part in their final hospitality assessment at the Cook Islands Tertiary Training Institute (CITTI) yesterday.

Around 12 students have spent the past three terms learning all aspects of the hospitality industry.

Skills the youngsters have acquired include knowing exactly how to place each item of cutlery - which isn’t as straightforward as it may seem when several courses are involved, or where to place water on the table. They are also learning culinary and cookery skills. The course, which ran for its first time, offers students real-life skills, that they can use later in life.

“This is just a stepping stone for many of them, and the real purpose of doing this is to not only give them extra credits that contribute to their NCEA, but also to get them interested in the hospitality industry,” says Medway-Smith.

“Courses like this, we hope, get them excited about the work arena early.”

The programme, which ran for three terms, saw the students attend CITTI classes twice a week and interact with other tertiary students and working professionals.

“This programme has run for the first time in this model,” Medway-Smith said.

“This was a full three terms. The first half the students focused on cookery and culinary skills, and the next half they focused on food and beverages.

“To have the students for three terms is quite a feat really.

They all stuck it out for the three terms which is really impressive, and they’ve achieved really well.

“A few students have indicated that when they move on to Tereora they would like to carry on learning hospitality, which is fantastic.

“Hopefully they will carry on and go on to undertake level three hospitality and then potentially step onto our apprenticeship..

Titikaveka College principal Gaylyn Lockington-Pera says the programme has been “really good.”

“I have had really positive feedback and comments from our students. They have thoroughly enjoyed being out here working and learning, the actually look forward to learning, which is really refreshing.

Medway-Smith says CITTI is happy to work with schools.

“It’s a great way to engage with youth and it brings them into an adult environment as opposed to being in school.

“We would love to see more of the students. Ideally a full day of learning every week would benefit the them more, but with timetabling it’s very difficult.”

She said the statistics involving students who study after universityare a major driving force behind CITTI’s programmes.

“Statistics show that only 35 per cent of students will leave Tereora and go on to pursue tertiary studies.

“Well what happens to the other 65 per cent, the large number that don’t go on to study at university?

“That is a bigger number for me; I want to be doing something with them .”

The course will hopefully run again next year with new students, and this year’s students will move on to pursue level two hospitality.